What is IGTV?

IGTV is just like our regular TV, where videos from the channels you follow start playing immediately as you click on the icon. You can swipe up to discover more videos or browse categories like:

‘For You’,

‘Following’,

‘Popular’ and

‘Continue Watching’

With these categories, you can easily find videos you are looking for. You can also like, comment and send these videos to your Instagram friends via Instagram Direct. Instagram also curates videos which it thinks you’ll enjoy from its customized collection.

Like a TV, IGTV also has channels. Here, a creator is the channel. Whenever a creator you follow uploads a video, it shows up on your IGTV to watch. You can upload your videos by creating your own channel via IGTV login. This can be done via the Instagram app or with the separate IGTV app.

IGTV is specially created for mobile users. There’s no pressure of creating perfect, professional videos. Though IGTV is not designed for Desktop, IGTV videos can be viewed on your PC. All you’ve to do is copy the link of the desired video from your IGTV app, email it to yourself and open the link on your desktop. The only drawback of viewing IGTV videos on a desktop or laptop is that the next video doesn’t play automatically. From this experience, it is clear that Instagram wants to make cell phones our primary computing devices.

Also, to view IGTV videos on a desktop or laptop, it isn’t necessary to install the app.

There’s a possibility that Instagram might include ads on this platform, thus leading to IGTV monetization.

Having said so, which are the best IGTV marketing strategies? Read on:

IGTV for Business: Marketing Strategies and Usage

#1 Content

Creating creative content is the key to using IGTV for business. Keep a watch on the trends and look out for what your followers might enjoy. In the beginning, you might repurpose your previous videos. Make sure you upload them vertically. Use any Instagram video editor to turn horizontal videos into vertical ones. Look out for a quality Instagram video maker to make things simpler.

Remember to be original and let your own voice speak through your IGTV videos.

#2 Consistency

A dedicated routine of posting IGTV videos will bring in rhythm to your channel. People love that. You can schedule the number of videos a week or a month and air them periodically. Your viewers will get accustomed to watching your channel and you will thus maintain a steady touch with them.

With its simplicity, you can even air a small video every day.

#3 Experimentation

When it comes to Instagram, the options are aplenty. You can create various videos like an inside trip of your office, how-to tutorials, unboxing of your products, a sneak-peek into your parties and celebrations and a lot more. Here’s what Wistia did on Valentine’s Day:

Also, this is a perfect platform to showcase your consumers’ testimonials. Invite your current customers to share their success stories and build a social proof of your brand.

#4 Audience engagement

Hosting AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions builds reliability and trustworthiness like no other. Keep one slot each month/each quarter where you answer the questions posed by the audience. Not only will it drive consistent traffic, but you’ll also give a lot of useful information and solve common queries.

The ‘Stickers’ like ‘Poll’, ‘Questions’ and others on Instagram Stories can come in handy and prove advantageous.

Here are some tips to get the most out of IGTV-

Showcase your worth- Educate your audience about your brand in a fun way. Also, reply to the comments on the videos. Interviews with customers can also be fruitful.

Repurpose your work- It’s not just your earlier videos which could be put up vertically. Think of IGTV as a sister channel to put-up your podcasts and other forms of videos too. You can later post them on Facebook too.

Keep it unique- Make your videos different than the rest by adding your own voice. Try making trends instead of just following them.

Give valuable insights- Always try to share tips, strategies, ideas and more on your IGTV. It’s okay if the content is not always about you but is something related to what you do. Remember to keep it audience-centric.

Include important links- Apart from links to your social media pages, blogs, and website, add Call-to-action or content which can further elaborate about your products.

Using IGTV for business is the next big investment in marketing via social media. Customize this semi-formal medium which is on the rise steadily to advance your Instagram marketing strategy.